Chapter 215: Where Is She?

Modern Era.

That evening, just as An Luo had finished her work and was about to clock out, Lin Lin suddenly knocked on the door.

"Boss."

She poked her head in, glanced at An Luo, then lowered her eyes, seeming to want to say something but holding back.

"What's wrong? Something you need to tell me?"

Lin Lin let out a soft breath, pushed the door open and walked in, studying her with a serious expression.

"Boss, has something happened to you lately? Did you offend someone? Or are you seriously ill?"

Hearing her talk more and more wildly, An Luo listened with a face full of black lines, utterly speechless, and quickly cut her off.

"Stop, stop, stop!"

"Can't you wish me anything good?"

"Eyy!"

Lin Lin walked over and plopped down in a chair.

"It's just that you've been acting so weird lately."

She counted them off on her fingers, one by one.

"Look, first you transferred the foundation to President Cheng, asked President Cheng to look after the Bian Li Dian and the old house for you, and even sold the new house."

"Lately, whenever you have free time, it's either having meals with us or gathering with your roommates."

Saying that, she carefully glanced at An Luo.

"It gives people the feeling like you're arranging your affairs after death."

An Luo: "..."

Hearing it put that way, it did seem a bit like that?

"I've just been too tired lately. I want to take two years off, go traveling, have some fun."

"Asking a friend to help look after the business and the house for a bit—isn't that perfectly normal?"

"It's not as exaggerated as you make it sound."

Lin Lin asked again.

"You're really okay?"

An Luo nodded helplessly and answered her very seriously.

"I'm really fine."

"Then I can rest easy."

Lin Lin stood up and walked out with a light, cheerful step.

"Clocking out!"

Seeing that, An Luo smiled and shook her head, picked up her bag, and walked out of the office too.

Underground parking garage.

An Luo had just been about to open the car door when she suddenly heard a cat meow.

"Meow!"

"Meow~"

Following the sound, she saw an orange cat in the corner with a patch of red on its front leg—it looked injured.

"Kitty?"

An Luo walked over.

"You're hurt, huh? Don't be scared, I'll take you to see a doctor."

She had just squatted down when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure dart out from the corner behind her. The person swung a stick at her, so she quickly dodged to the side and, at the same time, whipped her bag strap at them, striking again and again.

The person, caught off guard, had their hat knocked off.

"It's you?!"

An Luo's eyes widened slightly.

"What are you trying to do—"

Before she could finish, a towel was clamped over her mouth and nose. She struggled only a couple of times before passing out.

Before losing consciousness, she only heard:

"Quick, tie her up and put her in the trunk!"

"Let's go!"

Soon, a taxi drove out of the underground parking garage.

When An Luo opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a cramped corner, her hands and feet bound, and tape wrapped around her mouth.

Up front, a middle-aged man was cursing and grumbling.

"Running a company, living in a mansion, driving a luxury car—if you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known that brat was doing this well!"

"Hmph!"

"Striking it rich, eating and drinking the best every day—rather than give all that money to people who have nothing to do with her, she couldn't even show a little filial respect to her cousin-uncle, me!"

Cousin-uncle?

Hearing this, An Luo was stunned. She frowned and thought hard, rummaging through her memories, and finally managed to dig this person out from some forgotten corner.

Mom did seem to have a younger cousin.

But hadn't that old lady cut off contact with Grandfather's family long ago?

From what Mom said, that old lady had made a huge scene at Grandfather's funeral, still hankering after his inheritance.

Grandmother hadn't wanted Grandfather to leave this world without peace, so she gave all the money and house she'd inherited from Great-Grandfather to that family.

Once they got the money, they brushed off their backsides and left, and never showed up again after that.

That really is something!

She had never seen this family in her entire life, yet somehow Xu Jing had tracked them down.

And even brought them here to kidnap her!

Up ahead, in the passenger seat, Xu Jing patted the man's arm, soothing him in a gentle, soft voice.

"Biao, don't be angry. So what if she's impressive now? Hasn't she still fallen into your hands?"

That seductive voice made An Biao's eyes blaze with heat; his mind immediately wandered, and he burst out laughing.

"Ha ha! Well said!"

"Later we'll scare her good. Without eight or ten million, don't even think about me letting her go!"

Hearing his words, a flash of contempt crossed Xu Jing's eyes, and she secretly curled her lip.

What a country bumpkin!

That's as far as his horizons go.

Satisfied with just eight or ten million?

So short-sighted!

She used her coy, sweet voice to egg him on from the side.

"Biao, look—An Luo is in our hands. Only heaven and earth know, you know and I know. If she just disappeared like that, wouldn't you be the sole heir to all her property?"

"When that time comes, wouldn't her company, her money, her house and assets all be yours, Biao?"

"Squeak—"

An Biao slammed on the brakes, staring at Xu Jing in disbelief.

"What did you say?!"

"You mean—murder?!"

In the trunk, hearing those words, An Luo's hands moved even faster.

Her right hand groped along her left index finger; when her fingertip touched the familiar ring, her heart secretly rejoiced.

Luckily it hadn't been taken.

There's hope!

"No, no!"

An Biao clearly didn't want to do that.

The two up front were still arguing.

"Why not?"

Xu Jing's every word struck straight at An Biao's weak spot.

"Don't want money anymore? Don't want to get rich? Don't want to be somebody?"

"Or do you want to go back to farming, spending your whole life as a peasant scratching food out of the dirt?!"

"Bang!"

An Biao flushed with rage and humiliation, his eyes seeming to spit fire.

"Shut your damn mouth!"

"So what if I'm a country bumpkin? So what if I'm uneducated?"

"You're the one with the fancy degree, you're the pretty one—and in the end, didn't you still come running after me?"

A burly man with rough features, a face full of pockmarked flesh, and a body of sinewy muscle was still pretty terrifying when he got angry; Xu Jing was so frightened by his expression that she instinctively shrank back.

But she still steeled herself and leaned in, reaching to wrap her arms around An Biao's neck, and gently breathed into his ear.

"I—I was only thinking of you, wasn't I?"

"Who knows if she'll call the police after paying up?"

"Anyway, no one knows she's missing right now. Why don't we just go all the way?"

An Biao hooked her chin with a wicked grin.

"Do what?"

"Oh, Biao, how can you…"

Feeling the car rocking, An Luo in the back was utterly dumbfounded.

She sped up cutting the rope on her feet, carefully tore off the tape over her mouth, and groped her way bit by bit in the darkness.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up.

It really can be opened from the inside!

You really can learn real skills online!

After the trunk opened, she quickly jumped out.

Without pausing, she dashed into the small grove beside the road, running through it; as she ran, she felt for the inner pocket of her jacket.

When she felt the familiar phone, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Luckily they hadn't thought she would carry two phones when going out.

She opened the phone and was about to call the police, but unfortunately there was no signal.

With no choice, she gritted her teeth and ran out of the grove, heading for the road.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the two in the car suddenly felt a gust of cold air; when they looked toward the back, they were instantly horrified.

"How did the trunk open?!"

"Damn! She ran!"

"Find her, quick!"

The two hurriedly straightened their clothes and scrambled off the vehicle.

"Split up and search—she can't have gone far!"

One ran forward to look, the other ran back.

Meanwhile, elsewhere.

By the side of the road, An Luo ran while looking at her phone—thank goodness there was signal again!

"Hello! Officer with the cap? I've been kidnapped! I don't even know where I am, but my phone has location sharing on. The people who kidnapped me are An Biao and Xu Jing…"

The next instant, her voice cut off abruptly.

On the other end of the line, only the sound of a sudden, hard braking could be heard.

"Pssst—screeeech—"

A large truck slammed on its brakes, its tires even scraping sparks against the road.

After it stopped, the door opened and the driver staggered down, hurrying to the front of the truck to check.

"Oh no, oh no!"

"I didn't hit someone, did I!"

He searched around in front of the truck, stared at the completely empty ground, and scratched the back of his head in utter bewilderment.

"Huh? Where's the person?"

"Did my eyes just play tricks on me?"